Connectivity supports New Forest arts charity SPUD

Customers in Sway and Brockenhurst are now being connected to Wessex Internet’s full fibre broadband, as the ISP announces its support for SPUD, an innovative New Forest based charity that engages communities through a broad programme of art, design, ecology and architecture.

Rural towns and villages in the New Forest are benefitting from a £14 million Project Gigabit investment awarded by the government to Wessex Internet last year, which will see more than 10,500 properties connected to faster, more reliable gigabit-capable broadband.

Homes and businesses in Sway and Brockenhurst – two of the larger areas covered by the project – are now going live, including SPUD’s workshops, studios and galleries.

Hector Gibson Fleming, CEO of Wessex Internet, explained more about the partnership:

“Alongside our passion to connect rural communities that are often overlooked, other big differences between Wessex Internet and traditional providers are that we work in partnership with the communities we will connect before we even build our network, and that we seek to support organisations that make an ongoing impact in those communities.

“During our early meetings with the Parish Council and residents to explain how we would bring ultrafast broadband to Sway, we became aware of SPUD, who are based in the village but engage across the whole New Forest, especially with young people, marginalised individuals, and groups who haven’t got involved with arts and cultural projects before.

“Their inspiring and eclectic SPUDWORKS base in Sway hosts exhibitions by a range of local, national and international artists; has workshops used by community groups including dementia support activities, art taster sessions and youth projects; provides affordable studio space for emerging artists; and houses their small team of staff.

“It was clear to us that their busy site - which includes digital screens and artists working with video footage - was stifled by a slow and unreliable traditional internet connection, so we have provided them with a full fibre business package for a nominal £1 per month, saving them £1,200 each year. As well as providing this cutting-edge connectivity that will support all their artists and initiatives for years to come, we are also sponsoring some of their upcoming events.”

SPUD events being supported by Wessex Internet in 2024 include a video project made by young people that is being shown on a 180-degree screen as part of Hampshire Open Studios in August, the Art Angels Showcase in September - where amateur artists who have attended workshops at SPUD over the year will share their work - and a joint initiative with the New Forest National Park Authority to support SPUD’s flagship Open Exhibition in December, which will attract work from artists across the region.

Mark Drury, Director of SPUD and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, said:

“Improved, high-speed connectivity will help those working at the SPUDWORKS base in Sway to work on a range of digital initiatives, especially audio and visual work. It also allows us to video conference with partners and artists around the world and bring our work to a wider audience.

“We are delighted to have the support of Wessex Internet with a number of upcoming exhibitions that celebrate our local community of artists at SPUDWORKS and hope we can develop a strong partnership for the future.”

As well as launching their partnership with SPUD, Wessex Internet has also started to connect other residential and business customers in Sway and Brockenhurst, while work to extend their ultrafast network to communities in Hordle, Setley, Bisterne and Tyrrell will soon be completed.

As part of the government’s Project Gigabit, Wessex Internet’s rollout will continue over the next two years, targeting other harder-to-reach rural areas of the New Forest that, without government investment, would have missed out on faster speeds.

This ultrafast connectivity is being supported by government to help expand opportunity, reduce inequality and drive economic growth, by making it easier for rural communities to access broadband that will meet people’s needs for decades.